Agniveer scheme devised to 'insult' Indian brave hearts, says Rahul Gandhi
New Delhi (PTI): Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Sunday called Agniveer a scheme devised to "insult" India's brave hearts, saying that no pension or other benefits are given to the families of Agniveers after their martyrdom a charge denied by the BJP.
Gandhi shared a picture of Agniveer Gavate Akshay Laxman and said the news of his death in Siachen was saddening.
"My deepest condolences to his family," he said.
"A young man was martyred for the country - no gratuity, no other military facilities for his service, and no pension to his family in martyrdom.
"Agniveer is a plan to insult the heroes of India," Gandhi said in a Post on X.
BJP'S IT cell head Amit Malviya termed the charge "absolute trash and irresponsible."
"Agniveer Gawate Akshay Laxman has laid down his life in the course of service and therefore is entitled to emoluments as a Battle Casualty.
"Accordingly, Laxman's next of kin will receive the Rs 48 lakh non contributory insurance, ex-gratia of Rs 44 lakh, Seva Nidhi contributed by the Agniveer (30%), with an equal matching contribution by the Government, and interest thereon," Malviya said on X.
He claimed that the next of kin will also receive pay for the balance tenure from the date of death, till completion of four years (more than Rs 13 lakh), as per balance residual tenure and contribution of Rs 8 lakh from Armed Forces Battle Casualty Fund.
"So, stop peddling FakeNews. You are aspiring to be Prime Minister. Try and behave like one," Malviya said in his post.
Laxman died in the line of duty in Siachen, the Army's Leh-headquartered Fire and Fury Corps, in the early hours of Saturday.
Army Chief Gen Manoj Pande and all ranks of the force paid their tributes to Agniveer Gawate Akshay Laxman who hailed from Maharashtra.
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Hospital wall collapse: CM orders suspension of executive engineer; kin of victims get solatium
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Thursday ordered the immediate suspension of an executive engineer for the Bowring and Lady Curzon Hospital wall collapse that claimed the lives of seven people, during a high-level review meeting at Vidhana Soudha.
A compensation of Rs 5 lakh, as announced by the CM Siddaramaiah, was distributed to the families of seven victims who lost their lives in the tragedy on Wednesday evening, which occurred due to heavy downpour with gusty winds and hailstorm.
The meeting of municipal commissioners of the five corporations, chaired by the chief minister and attended by Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar, focused on fixing accountability and examining lapses that led to the tragedy.
"Why was soil dumped in a way that damaged the wall? Why did you not monitor this?" Siddaramaiah asked, pulling up hospital authorities during the meeting.
A statement from the chief minister's office said that the CM ordered the immediate suspension of the executive engineer of the Karnataka Health Systems Development Project (KHSDP).
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He also questioned the hospital authorities, asking why they failed to monitor the dumping of soil that weakened the structure.
The chief minister directed that a notice be issued to the head of the Hospital.
During the meeting, Siddaramaiah said the rains had caused extensive damage in the city, with over 250 trees uprooted.
The Chief Minister instructed officials to take necessary measures before the onset of the monsoon to avoid untoward incidents.
Commissioners of all five municipal zones in Bengaluru have been asked to take precautionary steps, including trimming dry and dangerous tree branches, the CMO said.
Siddaramaiah also directed them to get the silt cleared from stormwater drains to prevent flooding, and that immediate action be taken to remove debris and fallen branches from roads.
Further, he instructed that barricades be placed at underpasses where water stagnates and restricts public movement.
The Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) Chief Commissioner M Maheshwar Rao said in a statement that Shivajinagar MLA Rizwan Arshad distributed compensation cheques of Rs 5 lakh each to the families of the deceased on Thursday.
Seven people, including a six-year-old girl, were killed and seven others injured when the compound wall collapsed amid heavy rain, strong winds and a hailstorm on Wednesday evening.
Police said the victims, comprising three from Bengaluru, two from Kerala on a study tour and one each from Uttar Pradesh and Assam, had taken shelter near the wall when it suddenly gave way, trapping them under the debris.
The chief minister questioned officials over the dumping of soil near the wall despite knowing it could weaken the structure, and directed that a notice be issued to the head of Bowring Hospital.
Siddaramaiah, who had visited the spot soon after the incident along with senior officials, reviewed the situation and ordered a detailed probe into the collapse.
